ho.1658. ALCYON ARIA OF THE CALIFORN IAN COAST W 7 77 W,\ (533 



Order GORGONACEA. 



Suborder EOLAXONIA. 



Family I'kimnoid.b. 



Family Muriceiixe. 



Famih I'm \ u rid e. 



Family (ioi{<;o\n>.K. 



1 'aligorgia g< /7osa. 

 Plumarella longispina. 



Elasmogorgia filiformis. 

 Muria lla complanata. 

 Eumuria <> pusilla. 



Psammogorgia arbuscula 

 Psammogorgia simph 1 

 Psammogorgia torreyi. 

 Psammogorgia spauldingi 



. Leptogorgia flora . 

 Leptogorgia purpurea. 

 1. 1 ptogorgia caryi. 

 si, nogorgia kofoidi. 



A glance at the foregoing list shows that the most striking feature 

 of the collection is the number and variety of pennatulids, there 

 being 20 of these beautiful forms out of a total of 38 alcyonarians. 



Remembering the Large number of Muricid.c and Plexauridae 



described by Verrill from 1 110 west coast south of the United States, 

 it is somewhat surprising that more numerous representatives of 

 these groups arc not included in the present list. This is probably 

 due to the fact, before referred to, that Yen-ill's material was largely 

 from shallow water, while the present collection was mostly from 

 deep water. 



The only alcyonarians that the writer saw in shallow water while 

 working on that coast were Stylatvla gracilis and Rt nil/a amethys- 

 tiini, both pennatulids. So far as could be ascertained, no other 

 alcyonarians bad been collected from shallow water, either at La 

 Jolla, where the laboratory of the Marine Biological Association of 

 San Diego is located, or at Pacific drove. The coast at both these 

 places is rocky and furnishes man\ almost Ideal habitats for alcyo- 

 narian life, and the reason for its almost entire absence is not evi- 

 dent, ("specially in view of its abundance along the Central American 

 coast. 



